


oh i'm happy to have you home

by annemari



Category: Bandom, Pete Wentz and His Humans
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-16
Updated: 2013-12-16
Packaged: 2018-01-04 19:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1084835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annemari/pseuds/annemari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabe calls Pete up two days later and says, "I found her."</p><p>Pete blinks. He feels kind of thrown, which—he knew Gabe really did put up an ad on his dating site, he <i>saw</i> it, but that didn't actually translate into Gabe finding him an actual person to go out with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	oh i'm happy to have you home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lalejandra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalejandra/gifts).



> Thank you so much to alpheratz for being a great last minute cheerleader and beta! Title borrowed from Ben Howard's "Keep Your Head Up".
> 
> Hope you like this, lalejandra! <33

It doesn't take long for Pete to decide. The two bowls they smoked probably makes it easier, too.

"Okay," he says. "Let's do it."

"Do what?" Gabe asks, voice bleary and calm.

"Use your dating site."

"Shit, yeah." Pete can hear the grin in his voice. If he'd look away from the TV screen and down to where Gabe's resting his head against Pete's hip he'd see it, too.

"We can do it right now," Gabe says.

Pete thinks about it. "Or later."

"Or later," Gabe agrees. "Cool. Great. Gonna find you a date later, Petey."

Pete nods. "Later." He lets out a deep breath and slips lower on the couch, momentarily basking in the glow of having made a decision before the usual doubts kick in. There's no sight of it right now. Right now is pretty great.

Gabe rubs his head against Pete's side. "This is gonna be awesome."

~

Gabe picks up on the second ring.

" _'Hot DILF looking for a nice person to show a good time to_ '?" Pete asks.

"You like?" Gabe asks. There's some sort of background noise, maybe the wind rushing by. Pete wonders where Gabe is.

"Isn't hot DILF like a...like calling an ATM an ATM machine? One of those things. What are they called?"

"I have no fucking clue," Gabe says. "Do you like it?"

"Patrick says it's a bit...well."

"Patrick doesn't know what he's talking about. I already got a bunch of replies. I've got this."

Pete blinks. "Really?"

Gabe clicks his tongue. There's a honking in the background. "Of course."

"Where are you?" Pete asks.

"New York."

"I mean more specifically."

"On the streets?"

"Gabe."

"Just heading out for the night."

"Oh," Pete says. It's only eight here. Sometimes he forgets about time differences. "Cool."

"Listen, don't worry about the ad," Gabe says. He's hard to hear over the noise now. "I've already got some people I really like."

"Aren't I the one who's supposed to like them?"

"You will," Gabe says. "I'll send you the deets later. Gotta go, okay?"

"Come back to LA soon," Pete says.

"Of course."

"Bye," Pete says. He hangs up and looks down at the phone. He feels tired, but also like he could smile. He runs a hand over his face and calls out, "Bronx, time for bed soon!"

"Daddy, but the pirates!" comes the answer from the living room. "The pirates will be sad if I leave now!"

Pete smiles.

~

Gabe calls Pete up two days later and says, "I found her."

Pete blinks. He feels kind of thrown, which—he knew Gabe really did put up an ad on his dating site, he _saw_ it, but that didn't actually translate into Gabe finding him an actual person to go out with. And maybe keep going out with, and maybe even introduce to Bronx, and man, he was really taking this far here.

He chews on his lip. "You did?"

"Yes. She's perfect. She's perfect for you."

"We haven't even met. What happened to giving me people to choose from?" Gabe sent him links to silly dog videos instead, when Pete was expecting, like, people's profiles or something.

"Never mind those," Gabe says. "How long have I been doing this? Dude, trust me, I know." He sounds excited. "Fuck, you should have asked me to do this months ago. Why didn't you?"

"I wasn't ready months ago," Pete says immediately. He's said it so much it's sounds like just a line, even though it's the truth.

Gabe's voice goes soft. "Well, she's great. I'm gonna set it up, okay, match your schedules, find the place, all that?"

"Really?"

"Of course. The full treatment. Only the best for you."

Pete's insides feel warm and a bit squirmy. He closes his eyes. "Are you—is this a good idea, Gabe?"

"One date," Gabe says. "That's it. And you can cancel if it freaks you out too badly, but try not to overthink it, okay?"

"You're telling me she's _perfect_. What am I gonna feel like when it doesn't work out?"

"Then I'll admit I was wrong," Gabe says immediately. "Seriously, dude, it'll be okay. Trust me."

"I trust you," Pete says. He takes a deep breath. "When are you coming here?" He was hoping that's why Gabe was calling.

"Next week," Gabe says. "I'll know tomorrow what day. Maybe, maybe the week after that, but I hope not. But I'll let you know, for sure. And in the meantime I'll set this up too, okay? You in?"

"Yeah," Pete says after a beat. "Fuck it, I'm in."

He can picture Gabe grinning on the other side of the line.

"It's gonna be great, Pete. I promise."

~

Meagan is great. She's super hot, and she's got a great smile, and great boobs, and she laughs at Pete, but not at all in a mean way. She laughs _with_ Pete.

Pete's only just met her, but he's only felt awkward around her a couple of times, and that's normal and mostly unnoticeable, and Meagan's smile is kind and Pete _likes_ her.

He kisses her on the cheek at the end of their sort of date, and thinks about having her meet Bronx, and thinks, "Wow."

He calls Gabe as soon as he gets home.

"You're amazing."

"I know," Gabe says.

"Meagan's amazing."

"Of course she is," Gabe says. His voice sounds warm. "So you liked her?"

Pete fiddles with his sleeves. "She's really nice."

"Excellent," Gabe says. "Good. You wanna see her again?"

"Probably," Pete says. "I think so?"

"You're not sure?"

"No, I am. I really liked her, she was great."

"But?" Gabe asks.

Pete thinks about it for a while. Gabe waits him out, like he can tell that Pete really just needs to think and isn't spiraling or anything.

"She was really nice," Pete says.

"That's good," Gabe points out. "People should be nice. People should be nice to you."

"Yeah," Pete says. He breathes out. "I think I want her to meet Bronx."

"Wow," Gabe says. "That's fast. Is it? I don't really know, is it?"

Pete shrugs. "Maybe. I don't think I care? It feels like it'd be okay."

"Cool," Gabe says. "I have to go, but I'll see you next week, right? Tuesday. Pick me up?"

"Of course," Pete says. He's probably gonna email or text Gabe later today, and Gabe will be here, actually, physically here in a matter of days, and that sounds perfect, too. Everything sounds great to Pete right now.

"You're great," he says again. "You're so good."

"You too, Petey," Gabe says.

~

Pete picks Gabe up from the airport.

Gabe is hugs and bright eyes and a good, warm smile. He spends a couple of days at Pete's before he has to go take care of shit and it makes Pete feel so _good_. He's been on edge for a while, for most of the year, it feels like, but Gabe always fixes that. Gabe's great at that. Pete sometimes tries to think about how lucky he is for having Gabe, but that just makes him think of endings and he gets a little panicky, so he stops.

He takes Meagan out to a movie, has her meet Bronx. They get along well. Sometimes Pete has a hard time grasping what's going through Bronx's head, but he never hides it when he's upset or uncomfortable. He seems to like Meagan. Which means Pete can keep—dating her? They've gone out only a few times, but he'd call it dating. He should ask her later if that's how she sees it, because his _son liked her_ , and shit, did he introduce them too soon? What if that makes her leave?

Bronx's met a lot of Pete's friends, though, and he didn't introduce Meagan in any special way, so it should be fine. He didn't kiss her, didn't call her his girlfriend. It should be fine.

Meagan pokes her after the movie, in the car. She's driving him home, eyes on the road, but her hand reaching out to Pete.

"You okay?" she asks, voice light. She has a sweet voice. Pete likes it. He likes a lot of things about her.

"Yeah," he says. "Yeah, just—yeah."

"Just what?"

"Did you like Bronx?" He bites the inside of his mouth.

She looks away from the road, glancing at him. Pete can feel her gaze linger; he's looking down at his hands.

"He's really sweet," she says slowly. "And smart, and interesting. Of course I liked him."

"No, I know," Pete says. Who wouldn't like Bronx? "I meant—like."

She takes the turn to his street, not saying anything for a bit. She pulls over in front of his house and looks at him, angling her body towards him. She looks young. Pete sometimes forgets how she's younger than him, because sometimes she seems so much wiser than him. He wonders if he's projecting some sort of weird, unfair hipster blog aura at her. She's just—calm, and uses her words, and it seems so _easy_.

Right now, though, she's biting her lip, looking unsure. "Pete, I really like you. And your son. But if you don't want to, like, do this, then—"

"No." Pete can't help interrupting her. "No, that's not what I meant. I was just wondering if it was, like, too fast or if it was weird or. I don't know." He sighs, feeling kind of shitty and stupid now. "I really like you, too."

He looks up when he feels Meagan's hand on his forearm, tentative yet warm. "Good," she says, and she smiles when he meets her eyes. "So let's keep doing this. I think it's working pretty well right now."

"It is," he says. "Isn't it?"

She leans in for a kiss. "That's what I said," she whispers. "So. Tell me if you start feeling differently. Yeah?"

Pete runs his hand over her side, and she shivers. "I think I can do that," he says seriously. "I'm gonna try. But, like, I hope that doesn't happen."

She's soft smiles and soft lips, and Pete sinks into the kiss.

~

Meagan comes over the next day after an early morning photoshoot. Bronx is at pre-school, and he'll be going to Ashlee's after.

They make out on the couch for a long time and nap together, and that should be really fucking weird, but it isn't. It's weird that it _isn't_ weird, but he tries not to think about that too much. He keeps trying to figure out how to slow this whole thing down a bit while really, really not wanting to do that. It's good. This is good. He doesn't want to ruin it by thinking too much.

Meagan stretches and slowly rolls herself off him and off the couch. She lands with a soft thump and laughs. She laughs really easily.

"Lunch?" she asks. "I'm starving."

"Sure," Pete says. "What do you want?"

"Not sure," Meagan says. "Pizza."

"I love pizza."

"I've noticed. Me too."

She grins up at him from the floor, but then her gaze drifts and she makes a face. Pete blinks and then realizes she's looking at his Gabe tattoo. His stomach does a weird flip and goes cold.

"Who's that?" Meagan asks.

Pete swallows. "Gabe. You know, uh, the guy who—" Hooked you up with me. "Gabe Saporta."

Meagan's face clears, and she's smiling again, so fast, like she never lost it, looking right at Pete's face. "Oh, right," she says. "Your best friend."

"Yeah," Pete says. "Yeah."

"Is that like a high school picture? How old is he there?"

It's like she doesn't think it's weird he has Gabe's face on his leg. "It was a bet," Pete says, then winces, because it—well, it was, but that doesn't mean—but still.

Meagan nods, then raises her eyebrows, expectant.

"He's, like, eight, I think," Pete says. "Nine. Eight, yeah."

"Sweet," Meagan says.

"You don't think it's weird?" Pete asks. He can't stop himself.

"Maybe," Meagan says, shrugging. "Still sweet."

"A good weird?"

"Sure," Meagan agrees. "It's something between the two of you, though. I don't know if it's weird to you, but it doesn't matter what it is to anyone else."

Pete draws in a breath. He's not sure what to say, because Meagan said it so easily, like it makes _sense_ , and Pete's not sure if he should acknowledge how much it actually means to him.

He decides on not saying anything and instead goes down on her in lieu of a thank you. He thinks she gets it.

~

They go out to a party together, one that Gabe's at as well. Pete keeps forgetting that Gabe and Meagan must have talked, at least a little bit, when Gabe set them up. But he doesn't forget that it _was_ Gabe that made it happen. It makes him feel a bit funny in his chest.

Gabe's all charm, kissing Meagan on both cheeks, but soon Meagan's got his guard down, and he's more _Gabe_. Not the way he is with Pete, but Pete can tell he likes her.

They're all standing next to the bar, far enough from the music to just be heard, but still having to lean in for it.

"So," Gabe says. "I thought you'd ask me about all the dirt on Pete."

"You didn't give her the dirt already?" Pete asks.

Meagan smiles at them, sipping on her straw, but focuses on Gabe as she answers. "No dirt. Not really interested in dirt."

Pete sees something flash in Gabe's eyes, but he's not sure what it is.

"Good," Gabe says. "That's very good."

Pete doesn't really get that either, but he doesn't feel like thinking about it tonight.

"He's super into some TV shows, though," Gabe says. "Game of Thrones."

Meagan laughs and Pete can almost feel it vibrate through the air. "I know," she says, and Pete pulls her close with a hand on her waist and kisses her cheek.

Gabe's smiling down at Pete, his grin wide and free. Meagan buries her free hand in his hair and Pete honestly feels loved.

~

Gabe comes over again a couple of days later and Bronx promptly commandeers him.

"Why are you even staying at the hotel?" Pete asks, watching Bronx lay out his soft toys so he and Gabe can play together. Pete wonders what the story is gonna be this time. Yesterday it started off as aliens but quickly turned into puppies escaping from an evil scientist. Pete tries to remember if they've watched _Bolt_ recently.

"I need to do recording," Gabe says. "And, like, other work. You know."

"So?" Pete asks. "You can work from here."

Gabe smiles up at him and shakes his head. "Nah, dude. I can maybe stay for a bit when I have free time."

Pete frowns and toes at the floor. "You should."

"Okay," Bronx says importantly. "So, these are the dinosaurs, and these are the dragons." Pete wonders why Bronx cast a giraffe as a dragon and not a dinosaur. There's no point in asking, Bronx will just look at him like he's talking nonsense. Gabe's nodding in understanding, though, so Pete leaves them to it and goes to order pizza and figure out what to feed Bronx.

When he comes back into the living room Gabe's lying on the floor on his stomach, making growling noises at Bronx, as Bronx attacks him with one of the dragons and laughs. Pete leans against the doorway, and just watches them. He feels so _warm_ inside at the sight, at Gabe laughing so easily.

It makes something tug at his stomach, and his chest fill up, and the feeling is so familiar and so new.

Gabe rolling around now, and he makes a silly screeching sound and Pete loves him _so_ much.

He swallows hard. He wants to move, to retreat back into the kitchen, but he can't move. He can't make himself move. Bronx throws himself on top of Gabe and Gabe catches him easily.

~

"Hey," Meagan says. She's been running her hand through Pete's hair for what feels like hours now. It's really nice. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Pete says. "Why?"

"You're thinking really loud. Do you want to talk?"

"No," Pete says immediately, but that's not really fair. Well, it is fair, his therapist has said he doesn't have to talk to people about things he doesn't want to, but it still feels unfair.

Meagan just says, "Okay," though, and that—maybe that makes Pete reconsider it a bit.

"Maybe," he says.

"Okay." Meagan doesn't stop petting him. "Go. When you're ready."

Pete's not ready. "I think I realized something."

Meagan makes a soft humming sound. "Realized what?"

"I love you," he says. Meagan freezes. That's probably not a good thing. "But."

"There's a but?" Meagan asks, voice a bit shaky.

"Not a bad but," Pete says. He vaguely wonders if he's being a dick right now. He's trying to be honest. "I mean." He pulls away from Meagan and turns so he can look at her. She's looking back at him, eyes wide. "I do love you. I'm—sorry if it's soon, or whatever. I really like you."

"Okay," Meagan says. She touches her hand to his cheek. "That's what you realized?"

"No. I knew that."

Meagan blinks, and waits him out.

"I knew I felt, you know, this way about you. I just—"

She brushes her finger over his left eyebrow. "What? Pete."

He closes his eyes—he's a coward—and says, "I think I love Gabe."

"He's your best friend," Meagan says, and he wants to shake his head and say that's not what he means and he also wants to pull back and say that's exactly what he means, that's all he ever meant and maybe they can have sex now, or something, but she isn't finished. "You mean you're, like, in love with him?"

Her voice sounds honestly curious.

He keeps his eyes closed and she presses a kiss to his temple. "Pete."

"I think I—the way I feel about him, like. I think maybe it's the same way I feel about you? I just didn't realize it was—that."

"Love."

"Something," Pete says. "Yes? In love. That."

"Okay."

"Safe," Pete says. "That. And warm?"

"Okay," Meagan says again. "Pete, baby, open your eyes? Please."

He takes in a deep breath and does that. Meagan doesn't look sad. She doesn't look like she hates him or anything, for doing this to her.

"I'm sorry," he says.

Meagan sighs and rests their heads together. "I'm—surprised, I guess. I don't know. It's—I love you, too." She whispers it like a secret behind his ear and Pete wonders how much he still can learn about her. So many things; so many things he wants to learn.

He runs her fingers over her sides, careful. "You're not mad? About Gabe?"

"Am I mad that you're in love with both me and your best friend?" she asks. "No. I don't think so."

"I mean. I don't want to, like—I want to be with you. I don't want to, like, break up with you."

She's pressed so close, he can feel her tense, feel her frown against his skin. "I didn't think you did."

"Okay. That's good."

"Pete." She lifts her head to look at him. "Are you gonna tell Gabe?"

"Tell him what?"

He makes a face at him, but it seems fond. "That you love him."

His stomach goes tight. "I—I want to be with you. I just. I wanted to be honest with you."

The look in Meagan's eyes is so soft. "Pete," she says. "You don't—I get that Gabe is really important to you. And you should tell him."

"But—"

"It doesn't mean that you have to choose," she says. "I mean, at least from my part. I'm not going to make you choose."

"Okay," he says. He doesn't know what else to say. It's kind of confusing.

"Okay," she echoes. "Just. Think about that, baby."

He leans in to kiss her and it doesn't take long for her to be smiling against his lips, her belly quivering with quiet laughter.

~

Pete doesn't mean to tell Gabe.

He really doesn't. He _thinks_ about it, like Meagan said, and he thinks he shouldn't do it. Gabe's his best friend, and there are days when he's scared about him leaving one day anyway. Not because he doesn't trust Gabe, but because some days it feels like _anything_ could happen, and that scares the shit out of him. He doesn't need to make things weird between them and have Gabe leave because of that.

So he decides to not tell Gabe.

He wishes deciding something made it so.

It should be nothing, it's just a, "Fuck, I love you," that he blurts out when Gabe brings him a stupid fuzzy toy squirrel when he comes over one day, and it's like Gabe doesn't even notice, just responds with his usual smile. Pete still feels like his stomach has dropped to his feet, and he goes hot all over. He can't play it off. He wants to say it again, his stupid brain won't let him just get away with it, and the way Gabe's _smiling_ at him makes him want to say it again.

"Gabe," he manages to choke out, and fuck, that's just—fuck.

"Pete?" Gabe asks, eyebrows drawing together. He reaches out for his shoulder, and Pete tries to take a step back, but he can't. Gabe's hand is so warm. "Petey, you okay?"

"I—shit, Gabe."

"Tell me what's wrong," Gabe says, voice gentle. "Pete?"

"I love you," Pete whispers, helpless. "Gabe, I—"

"Hey." Gabe steps closer, both hands on Pete's shoulders now. "Shh, Pete. It's okay."

Pete shakes his head. He can't stop. "I love you. I didn't—I'm sorry."

Gabe pauses. He's so close. "Why are you sorry?"

"I'm fucking it up."

"You're not fucking anything up. Don't worry about that, okay? I promise."

Pete shakes his head again and closes his eyes. Gabe pulls him into a hug, and Pete doesn't always like hugs, but Gabe is so perfect at them. He does them perfectly. They make Pete feel perfect, sometimes.

"You don't have to be sorry," Gabe whispers. "You just—"

"I love you," Pete says again. "Like I love Meagan, like—I was watching you and Bronx, and I just—I told her, I talked to her, and she said she wasn't gonna make me choose and I should think about it, and I love you, I—Gabe."

Gabe's arms tighten around him for a moment and then he's pulling back and his hands are cupping Pete's face and his eyes are wide and serious and so bright.

"Really?" is all he says, and Pete nods fast, because he doesn't lie to Gabe.

Gabe leans in, rests his forehead against Pete's.

"If I kiss you," Gabe asks, "would that be okay?"

Pete breathes out harshly, almost a whimper, and touches his lips to Gabe's so, so carefully.

Gabe's hands are so gentle, and he kisses so sweetly, and Pete feels safe and so good.

~

Gabe says he's gonna retire the dating site because there's no way he's ever going to make a match this great again. Meagan laughs and throws cereal at him, which is ridiculous and really cute.

Meagan has a photo shoot and Gabe has some sort of business thing. Pete goes with Meagan, spends half the time waiting around in the car and playing on his phone. He brings her coffee for her break, because she says she trusts him better with her order, and drives her home in the afternoon as she curls up in the passenger seat, dozing.

He's tired too by the time they get home. It was a hot, humid day and he wants a nap. Meagan's looking a lot more awake, and she kisses him against the front door until he's half hard and pleasantly relaxed instead of wired.

"Sorry," he says quietly, his eyes drooping. "Tired."

She smiles and leads him to the living room. He lies down on the couch, stretching out, and yawns. Meagan reaches out and runs her hand over his side, soft and warm. Pete twists a little and pulls one of his legs up, tilting towards her, smiling.

She scratches his side lightly. "You're like a puppy," she says, and Pete feels sleepy and safe. Meagan keeps stroking his side, his belly, and it makes Pete feel so good. The warmth spreads through him and he ends up falling asleep right there.

He wakes to find Meagan and Gabe watching Project Runway, both sitting on the floor and leaning against the couch.

Pete blinks sleepily and reaches for Gabe's shoulder. Gabe turns his head fast and Pete winces, worried, hoping Gabe didn't pull anything. Gabe only smiles, though, so soft, and says, "Hey."

"Hey," Pete whispers back. "How were things?"

"Tiring," Gabe says. "We're watching Project Runway to unwind."

"I saw." He rubs at Gabe's shoulder, then leans over to press a kiss to it.

"I'm hungry," Meagan says. "Food?"

"Pizza," Pete says. "I'm in the mood for pizza."

Neither of them point out Pete's usually in the mood for pizza.

"I could go for pizza," Gabe says. He touches Pete's knee.

Meagan stands up, leans down to drop a kiss to Pete's hair, and heads to the kitchen. Pete watches her go. Gabe catches his eye and grins, raising his eyebrows in almost a leer. Pete rolls his eyes and kisses Gabe, the angle a bit awkward. He feels happy, deep inside, and cared for.


End file.
